


Enter Stage Left

by SmolAndDepressed



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Emotions, Fluff and Angst, I'm Mostly Winging It at This Point, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Substance Abuse, Very Likely a Minor Character Death, alchoholism, i'm sorry Damon, i'm sorry jamie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-03 12:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 4,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10967244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmolAndDepressed/pseuds/SmolAndDepressed
Summary: Murdoc lives off-campus with a few buddies of his. He absolutely hates it there. He constantly has to steal cigarettes for Clarence(his main landlord). One person he lifts from though, kind of ends up helping him out, in more ways than one.





	1. That Pinprick Trick of His

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Damon

       Around the corner and down the road a little bit, Murdoc was shouting. Not only him, and not by choice. He hated these nights, having to go out with the guys and see some things he never wanted to see. The sick things that he knew were wrong he had to follow along with killed him a little inside every day. Like today. The wails died down and the cheering got louder. He wondered if the owner would miss the dog was just silenced.

Oh, well. Today was just another day of ‘fitting in.’ It was hardly close to over.

“Hey, there Big M,” a very tall, very strong, and very drunk person came up behind him, burping loudly in his ear. “How’s about you go and do that lil’ pinprick trick of yours. Look at ‘im over there,”

Murdoc turned. Easy target at one o’clock-tall, blue hair, male, small box in his back pocket-cigarettes? He looked weaker than Murdoc, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to violence. Either way, the cigarettes seemed like an easy enough lift.

“You know, I really don’t feel like I have it in me today.” Murdoc wanted to leave him be, he looked so content over by the bench.

“Oh, come off it, buddy. You know you do.”

“You come off it.”

“I swear to Christ, Murdoc-”

“To who, now?” Murdoc grabbed at a chain around his neck.  
“Clance, you may have forgotten that your so-called God” he pulled out his crucifix from behind his shirt, “is dead.”

“Then why you afraid of sinnin’, Satan-Boy? Don't wanna be goin’ to Hell?” Murdoc quieted briefly. “God granted man free will. Steal ‘enever, bloody heathen.”

“Clancy Davis, you useless sack of soulless greed, I will steal on my own time. Did your God give me the ability to live in my own Satanist ways? What about the whole ‘Thou shalt not steal’ thing?”

“You listen here, you absolute know-nothing son of a whore, do you dare to believe that you still have God’s rights after submitting to the Prince of Darkness? Go do as I tell you or I will turn you into a bloody pulp and bathe you in holy water.”

Maybe Clancy wasn’t as drunk as Murdoc first thought. Maybe more, it was hard to tell. Regardless, he slunk over to the person alone on the park bench.

“May the Lord bless your soul and grant thee salvation.” Murdoc mocked the words of the Catholics as Clancy spat out death threats.

He sat behind him and took out one of the pocket Bibles he had been given. He kept it solely for the irony. He watched the air about muffin-top in front of him, He felt compelled to strike up a conversation, talk a bit. He looked farther in front of him and Clancy caught his eye.

“Look sharp, mate, or I’ll cut ya were ya sit.” At this Murdoc got up and stalked behind a tree, or tried to, anyway.


	2. With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author has no notes for this chapter.  
> It is a good, chapter, though, kinda important, it seems.

  _He sat behind him and took out one of the pocket Bibles he had been given. He kept it solely for the irony. He watched the air about muffin-top in front of him, He felt compelled to strike up a conversation, talk a bit. He looked farther in front of him and Clancy caught his eye._

    “Look sharp, mate, or I’ll cut ya were ya sit.” At this Murdoc got up and stalked behind a tree, or tried to, anyway.

    His to-be victim stepped up and walked away too, and their heads collided.  
What shocked Murdoc was not the calm way the victim held out his hand, but the two black-red voids of his eyes. He stared. _Holy smokes, forget the blue hair, he has divots in his face._

     Divots didn’t seem to understand the gaping stare. After a moment he fumbled for his sunglasses, and put them on near immediately after he got them out of his pocket, lightly embarrassed and heavily self-conscious.

 Divots stirred and broke the silence with a simple “Hello.”

“Yes, hello, er- well that is..hi.” _Since when,_ thought Murdoc, _have I ever sounded so stupid?_

“I’m so sorry, I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“Ah, no, no. I’m good. Are you alright?”

“Sure, yeah, just fine, thanks.” Divots’ _th_ sounded more like an _f_.

“Do you go to school here?” Divots gestured toward the main building.

“No, I go to a different university, I’m just visiting.”

“Me too, actually. I go to the tech school a few miles north, actually.”

“No kidding? Bristol?”

“Yeah! Do you live on Campus?”

“No. here. With...with them.” he gestured towards Clancy and Co.

“Oh..”

   Brief silence interrupted their seemingly pleasant conversation, turning the atmosphere awkward and sour. Murdoc figured he’d find some other sorry kid to lift something from. He couldn't very well steal from Divots."I-I’d better get going,” he stuttered _way_ more than he had in a long time.

 _Hey, Like Hell you are_! Divots wanted to say. _You’re not safe with them, you need a real place to stay._

A hesitant _Wait!_ preluded what was no doubt to be an awkward conversation

“If you could, please, stay away from them.” Divots nodded toward the raging crowd of people Murdoc had come from.“They can’t be all that great of friends, drinking, smoking... You’ll die early.”

Murdoc was a bit put off from this, no doubt. He seemed unable to say no, or anything at that matter. He nodded at Divots, and let his word sink in. Were people good at heart, really? How could somebody he’d never met care?  
Divots was watching, looking lightly confused himself, eyebrows screwed up.

"See if you can find a reason to live on campus with-” he cut himself off, which was hardly ever good.

“With who? With What?” Murdoc wanted to know if he could leave, but Divots seemed like he regretted saying it.

“With.... with me.” Divots blushed as he said it.

“I’ll try,” Murdoc found himself saying “I promise I’ll try.”

He reentered the large group of hoodlums , mainly because he couldn’t just up and leave just like that. He rejoined with some sort of new perspective .

The bunch had taken up the usual talk of “What if Cindy was eliminated? Maybe her ‘boyfriend’ would go after them. How would they hide the body of the Cindy to avoid her little servant-boyfriend to come after them?”

“What if,” Murdoc suggested, “we leave them to their own worlds?” The response was one of absolute silence. “I mean, what have they done to us that requires death?”

Murdoc, after a bit of a scramble, was given a broken nose. He stumbled away and stated to sprint, turning a corner and literally running into Divots.


	3. How Awfully Indecent of You

    “ _What if,” Murdoc suggested, “we leave them to their own worlds?”_ _The response was one of absolute silence. “I mean, what have they done to us that requires death?”_  
_Murdoc was given a broken nose. He stumbled away and stated to sprint, turning a corner and literally running into Divots._

“Wha?” Divots got back to his feet. “Oh, oh dear. Is that _blood?_ ”

    “Well, yes. Sort of. But please help me? My entire fucking face feels broken. Can we go to the hospital?" Murdoc managed to grit some sort of communication through the pain. It was getting harder to breathe, he had to frequently stop and pant a little bit.

"Yes, yes. Of course, alright, come along.

"Hey, fuckwit." Clancy was advancing on them, rapidly, if not anything else."You got some nerve dissrespeccin' me like that. Runnin' back to us with nothing to show for it." He turned toward Divots. "You know," he started, smirking, "Murdoc 'ere was supposed to take that box from your pocket, weren't you, fuckwit?"

Oddly enough, Divots immediately understood. "How awfully indecent of you!" Clance looked delighted, thinking he won. Divots spun it around. "Cussing like that! Do you kiss your sister with that smacker of yours?"

In all his time around him, Murdoc had never seen Clancy so absolutely clueless. "What do you mean by that exactly? Where is she?"

"Noodle's fine. Did you know she's an absolute genius? Does everything on her own I think. What's it mean to you, Clarence Alexander Davis, her whereabouts?" Clancy stuttered something about _How the Hell?_ and such. Divots was smiling and rubbing Murdoc's back, as he needed reassurance. He noticed a distinct lack of front teeth.

Despite the circumstances, Divots laughed at this fool, this Clarence Alexander Davis."So."

"So?" Murdoc repeated, a smile of his own on his face.

"Murdoc, was it?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Alright then, over this way.” Divots led the way to an old and beaten-up van. _Pathetic_. _Hardly worth anything, just like that Clancy Davis._ He smiled at it, regardless of what he thought of it. _Only a car, only a quirk, I suppose._  
    Divots didn't really drive, but rather cruised, after searching around in the glove box for some napkins, of course. Murdoc held them up to his nose, which was more or less gushing. He was almost exited for the hospital. Didn't they give you some sort of painkillers? Lord, wouldn't that  be nice,  a little high-time with Divots. He'd sit there so happy with...

Who was Divots to him? He offered to be a roommate, but they didn't even his name. What kind of relationship was that? _Why the Hell is it him, of all people, that I want to get high with?_ He had a whole car ride ahead of him to consider.


	4. I'd Like to Give It a Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized words are thoughts, but only sometimes. Context is helpful.

_Didn't they give you some sort of painkillers? Lord, wouldn't that  be nice,  a little high-time with Divots. He'd sit there so happy with..._

_Who was Divots to him? He offered to be a roommate, but they didn't even his name. What kind of relationship was that?_ Why the Hell is it him, of all people, that I want to get high with? _He had a whole car ride ahead of him to consider._

Murdoc felt the bed shake. Confused, he sat up and opened his eyes, taking in a hospital bed and...Divots? He was sat in a chair with his head on the side of the bed. He was also shaking, more like cross between childish squirming and shaking. Divots' too-thick eyebrows were pinched in towards the middle of his face.

"Hey now," Murdoc put his hand on Divots' shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Don't be afraid." He had next to no idea what to say to a sleeping person. He'd found that they didn't make the best conversationalists. Murdoc shook him harder. "Don't  be afraid," he said again.

Divots woke and instinctively grabbed toward the hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Someone's here. I know I'm a nobody to you, but it still counts, dunnit?"

Divots looked up at Murdoc. He swore he saw something there in his eyes besides the black-red. Murdoc was still a little bit dipsy from whatever they gave him to dull the pain. "Hey there, Divots."

"That isn't my name."

"Then what is?"

"Pot. Stuart Pot. My friends call me 2D." He saw the question before it was said, and pointed sadly at his eyes. "Two Dents," he said. "I do like Divots better than that though."

Murdoc smiled. "Do you always sleep like that?

"Like wha?"

"Like, nightmares. Do you always have nightmares?"

"N-no." The hesitation in his voice gave Murdoc what he needed; the truth.

"Is the roommate thing still open for grabs?"

"Well, yeah. I've been here literally all day." Divots smiled at the stupidity of the question.

"So it's like... night now?"

"Yeah." His smile got wider. "Still a little bit put off from the meds, huh?"

"A little, I guess." Murdoc smiled with Divots. "About the room offering."

"Had enough time to consider?"

"Yeah," Murdoc leaned back into his pillows, and Divots put his head on Murdoc's leg. "I think I'd like to give it a go."

Divots sat up to yawn and stretch before settling back down. "I would be okay with that."

They slept through the night, peacefully. No nightmares, not quite any dreams either.


	5. Why In The World Did I Let Him Go Alone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so tired.

_Divots yawned and stretched before settling back down. "I would be okay with that."_

_They slept through the night, peacefully. No nightmares, not quite any dreams either._

The next morning, at 8:04 in the morning, Murdoc was checked out of the hospital, his nose looking absolutely no better than when he checked in. Thee doctors prescribed him pain pills which he was _sure_ to take with a certain new friend of his. Fun times he was _sure_ would ensue. For now, however, they had to get gong to Bristol. It was about an hour and a half drive away.

"So, hey, do you have anything at your... other place you want to pick up?" Divots looked scared for Murdoc, like he didn't want him going back to that complex.

"Well, yeah, one thing, my bass."

"You play?"

"Yeah. Alone though. Nobody really joins up with me. I've asked around, believe me."

"So, I'm going to live with a solo bass player?"

"That's it."

They got it the car for awhile, accompanied by Divots' worry. By the time they actually got there, it was hard to breathe through all the tension. Divots pulled his car to a stop and cut the engine. He leaned back ad sighed, eyes closing.

"I'll be right back," Murdoc assured him.

"Go."

"Oh, uhm, yeah, I'll just-"

"Go."

"Yeah, alright." Murdoc was near perplexed at the curt half-conversation. He just got out of the car leaving Divots to his thoughts.

_Why in the world did I let him go in alone?_

He waited for half an hour. It was just a bass, how long did it take? This was definitely not 'right away' if it took this long. Divots was so focused on why he wasn't here yet, just staring at the dashboard of his old car. So focused, in fact that Murdoc had a good opportunity to watch him when he came back outside with his bass. _Hair soft and blue as the sky, eyes darker than the pits of Hell._ He just stared, for how long, he didn't know.

Divots didn't say anything, but his breath hitched when he saw Murdoc.

Murdoc noticed and would've smirked, but he didn't know what Divots would do. Instead they just stared for a good long while.

They snapped out of it when a siren picked up.

"We should..." Divots trailed off.

"Yeah, we oughta..."

"Move. To my place."

"No, to-"

Murdoc found it ridiculous. He cut himself off when he spoke, just like Divots had. Cutting off mid-sentence was never good.

"To where? To what?" Divots held the same concern Murdoc had when they met. It was his turn to blush as he said,

"To our place."

Divots smiled. "Yeah, our place."


	6. You, Sir, Are A Literal Pickle

_"To our place."_

_Divots smiled. "Yeah, our place."_

There was an hour and a half between the whole staring incident and Bristol. Murdoc spent about thirty minutes daydreaming about the Hell eyes, and what expressions he thought he could get them to make. That went downhill real quick so he had to switch to his calming mechanism. Terrible, horrible jokes. 

"So," he started, "if I were to roll you up in a blanket..." He paused, waiting for Divots to respond.

"Go on."

"And then set you on fire..." Another pause.

"Wait, wha?"

"Would I get high off the smoke?"

"Why the heck," _how sweet,_ Murdoc thought. _Too innocent to swear. "_ Would you want to know that, and about me? Have you tried this before?"

"I haven't, Mr. Pot, what are you implying?" At that point, everything clicked in Divots' head. Murdoc continued. "I am an innocent strawberry on a summer day."

"Hey, now! No way. You are like a sour pickle."

"What." At times like this his questions didn't sound like questions, more like commands.

"That's it. You, sir, are a literal pickle."

That went on for a half hour, and the remaining thirty minutes started out with a simple statement/

"Hey, I may be ninety percent leg, but I ca still count all of your lies, Pickle." Divots meant it as a joke, but Murdoc was rather taken aback.

"W-What exactly do you mean?"

"I can count your lies."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Number one: You weren't _just visiting_ that place yesterday. Number two: you said you were a bassist."

"Hold it. I am. Don't you see that?" he pointed toward his bass guitar in the backseat. "Assa bass right there."

"No," Divots said. "That is a bass guitar. The upright bass gets the title of just bass."

"Why?"

"Why? Because it was here first, of course.

They drove and drove.

Already getting along so well.


	7. A Roommate, I Should Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short again. I'm sorry.  
> I can't post much on weekends.  
> Again, I'm sorry.  
> Please be patient.

_"Why?"_

_"Why? Because it was here first, of course."_

_They drove and drove._

_Already getting along so well._

When they got to Bristol, Murdoc and Divots were near tears.  They’d laughed and reminisced about the stupid things they did as kids. Murdoc had jumped off a roof with his mother’s umbrella. Divots hit his brother with a rock for no valid reason. conversations were light and fun.

  
Then they got to the house. Holy shit. 

Divots lived about a mile or two away from campus. One main floor, an attic, a basement, that was normal. But it felt wrong.

  
He stepped in with a sense of  unease. He thought he heard something from every corner. There were holes in the doors and walls he passed, and the stairs shuddered under his feet. He loved everything about it. Divots walked behind him, So close that Murdoc could feel his breath. He felt shivers go up his spine, either from this house or from Divots. _  
_

Murdoc jumped when music just suddenly upped out of nowhere. A snicker fell out of Divots, behind him, Murdoc just _had_ to smile. "That," started Divots,"was just a housemate of mine."

"Am I a roommate or a housemate?"

"Depends. To me, or the others?"

"To the others?"

"Housemate"

Murdoc felt a butterfly inside him somewhere. "And to you?" Murdoc's voice sounded foreign and scared to himself.

Divots stared directly into Murdoc's mismatched eyes and smiled. "A roommate, I should hope."


	8. Small, Messy, and Dark

Divots’ room was small, messy, and dark, but at least it smelled nice. There was a bed, of course, with a headboard, a red blanket and a pillow. The closet was close to the foot of the bed, he had lamps and alarm clocks and the likes. Piles of clothes took up the majority of the floor.  
This was all fine and well to Murdoc, except there wasn’t any place for him to sleep. There wasn’t an extra bed, and absolutely no space on the floor that he would comfortably fit in.  
Murdoc felt another butterfly somewhere inside him. Divots watched him take in the room and opened the door to the bathroom, letting Murdoc in. Still small, still messy, still smelled nice.  
“So.”  
“So?” Divots was so nervous he was shaking.  
“Where am I to sleep?”  
To be honest, that was what Divots was afraid to hear. He made an offer that he couldn’t keep. He was a terrible person and he felt as if he’d cry. “I could take the floor if you want the bed.”  
“Why won’t you take the bed?”  
“Because I thought... I thought...” He was starting to panic and he felt a lump in his throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t think at all.” He wondered why he was so afraid of losing him, they'd only spent a few conscious hours together anyway.  
Murdoc watched Divots unfold before he walked towards him. He lifted up his hand and it hurt him a little inside when Divots flinched. Murdoc reached up and really noticed how much taller Divots was than himself. He ran his hands through Divots’ hair. Soft and bluer than the sky. He looked at Divots’ eyes, straight into the blackness of Hell and found tears spilling over the edges."It’s alright.”  
“But wha...Wha’re we going to do?”  
Murdoc answered immediately, without thought. “We could sleep in the bed together, yeah?” His voice was soft and gentle, more so than it had ever been.  
Divots absolutely froze, and stared long and hard at Murdoc, maybe right past him, it was hard to say. Murdoc felt so unbelievably stupid, and was about to take it back when he saw the look on Divots' face. He licked his lips and slowly said, “Yeah. That’d be just swell.”  
Murdoc dropped his hands to the back of Divot’s head and to the side of his face. Divots sighed and grabbed at his elbows, closing his eyes. He opened them a moment later to say again, “That’d be just swell.”  
They stared at each other again for a while.  
After fifteen minutes or so, Divots blushed and blinked and closed his eyes. He pushed his head into Murdoc’s palm, and took a deep breath before leaning down, moving his hands from Murdoc’s elbows to his hips. 


	9. If You Were To?

_He pushed his head into Murdoc’s palm, and took a deep breath before leaning down, moving his hands from Murdoc’s elbows to his hips._

Divots dipped in and knocked their foreheads together. They could feel each other's breath. "What would you do," Murdoc said, "if I were to..."

"To wha?" Divots' mouth hung open slightly, and all of Murdoc's butterflies were pulling them together. _Holy Hell,_ _I will not._

"If you were to?" Divots leaned in to hesitate again.

Murdoc said nothing, but  closed the little space between them.

Gently, so gently, they melted into one another, and there was nothing left. Just them.

Together, they sat on the foot of the bed, holding on to what they could as tightly as possible. Divots broke off with a laugh.

"What's so funny to you, sweets? Am I not good enough?" Murdoc dove for Divots' neck, giving it his all.

"No, it's just that-I never thought that- _oh. F_ uck it, it'll have to wait." He pulled Murdoc off his neck and close to him, wrapping his legs around his waist. He gave it his all.

A knock at the door startled Divots and he sat up straight. Murdoc just went back to his neck. "W-who is it?"

The door started to swing open slowly and Murdoc sat up to compose himself, but he had done something terrible.


	10. No. God No.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FAQ at the bottom.

_The door started to swing open slowly and Murdoc sat up to compose himself, but he had done something._  
Divots' neck was red in places. Oh, oh fuck, oh damn me now. He hurt him. He hurt the loveliest person he'd seen in ages.   
  
Divots unfolded one of his legs from Murdoc as the largest, most smooth-sounding  American he'd met came in the room.  
“H-hey, Russ."  
“Sorry Dents. Didn’t mean to... intrude.”  
“No, no, t’s fine we’re fine.”  
“who might this be?” this guy -Russ-  pointed at at Murdoc.  
“This is Murdoc.” Divots took Murdoc’s hand “and this,” he said pointing his head away from him, “is Russ.” They nodded curtly to each other. “he’s going to be staying with us.”  
“As what?” Russ said immediately.   
“W-well, I’m not really...not entirely, uhm,”  
“I see. Figure it out.”  
“Yes, I will.”  
“I just came up to say Noodle’s cooking tonight.”  
“Yes. Right, okay.”  
“You’d better know by then.” And with that, Russ left, almost as soon as he walked in.  
“Don’t mind him, he’s just, the mom friend.” Divots was smiling weakly. Murdoc brought his face up from his hands. Divots shook and his smile dropped. “Oh, fuck, I’m so sorry. I think I’d best find another room to stay in. Oh God...”  
Murdoc looked at his tears which were falling pink from his too-black eyes.  
“I’ll go. I might be able to find somewhere, but I can’t keep fucking up your life.”It hurt Murdoc to say, but he felt he had to. Divots stopped his shaking, but wrapped his arms around Murdoc’s  neck. “No. God no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: Where were you?  
> A:Practicing for an audition.  
> Q:For days?  
> A:I was also worrying about the results after the audition.  
> Q:For almost a whole week?  
> A:I was also moping about the distinct lack of my name on the list for Symphonic. Oof.


	11. A Goddamn Martini

_Divots stopped his shaking, but wrapped his arms around Murdoc’s  neck. “No. God no._ I’d really love it if you stayed.” Divots’ tears were still falling down."You won’t get anything if you leave. Won’t really lose anything if you leave either, so I can’t stop you.” He stared directly back into the mismatched eyes. “I can hope, however selfish I am.”  
Murdoc chuckled softly. “Who am I to say dreams don’t come true?”  
“What time is it, can you tell?”  
“Four-ish.”  
“She should be starting to cook about now.”  
“Who?”  
  
Noodle found that having a bad day was like making Russ’ mother’s meatloaf with three paper cuts on each finger. She was lucky her fingers were solidly healthy. She started out getting the beef from the freezer and let it set while she got out the other stuff. Black pepper, brown sugar, an onion, nutmeg, salt, eggs. “The works,” he’d called them. Lots of lemon, onion and salt.   
  
She put the loaf in the oven and got a martini glass out from the cupboard. She wasn’t legally allowed to drink yet, but it was fun to see Stu and Russel fuss about something every once in a while. She got water from the sink and poured lemon juice in, topping it off with a slice of lime on the rim.  
Russ came thumping down the steps in a sad sort of way. she looked at him, tilting her head slightly.  
He looked at Noodle. “D’s got a guest.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “I don’t know if he’s from, _before_ , I guess.”  
    She straightened herself. “Now I don’t know," said Russ, “if he’s coming down for dinner or what. I assume that he is. please, when you set the table,” He paused to take  deep breath. “Put out an extra chair and such.”  
    Noodle nodded and bolted her drink. “And that had better not be a goddamn martini,” he said while walking away. She smiled and started to set the plates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO boy.  
> Sorry about the lack of...everything.  
> Been camping.  
> Lo siento mucho.


End file.
